Stanford (6-4) at San Francisco (11-1) | Saturday • Dec. 22 • 2:00 p.m.
War Memorial Gym • San Francisco, Calif.
Game Notes: Stanford | San Francisco
Television: Pac-12 Networks | Radio: Stanford Cardinal Sports Network
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HEADED TO THE HILLTOP
For the first time in 31 seasons, Stanford will make the 40-mile trip north to the University of San Francisco campus for a men's basketball game. The Cardinal will visit The Hilltop Saturday for a 2 p.m. tipoff against the West Coast Conference foe at War Memorial Gym.
ON THE ROAD AGAIN
Seven of Stanford's first 11 games are on the road, with the Cardinal traveling 16,419 miles. Saturday's stop in San Francisco is the closest road contest of the season. The Cardinal has visited Wilmington and Chapel Hill, North Carolina, Lawrence, Kansas and Paradise Island, Bahamas.
YOUNG SQUAD
Eleven of Stanford's 15 players are in their first or second year playing. Only senior Josh Sharma and juniors Marcus Sheffield, Trevor Stanback and Rodney Herenton entered the year with at least two seasons played. Through 10 games, first and second-year players have accounted for 83.7 percent of Stanford's scoring (592 of 721) and 83.8 percent of Stanford's rebounding (293 of 350).
Stanford's starting lineup in four games this season has been made up of three sophomores (Daejon Davis, KZ Okpala, Oscar da Silva) and two freshmen (Cormac Ryan and Bryce Wills). The Cardinal is one of only four teams in Division I that have started all freshmen and sophomores, this season, joining East Carolina, Incarnate Word and Mount St. Mary's.
AGAINST SAN FRANCISCO
Stanford and San Francisco have met 67 times previously, with the Cardinal owning a 46-21 advantage over the Dons. The two Bay Area schools met Dec. 17 of last season at Maples Pavilion, with the Cardinal defeating the Dons, 71-59. Stanford has won the last four in the series. The Cardinal last played at San Francisco on Dec. 12, 1987, a 68-67 Stanford win. The Cardinal is 6-10 in 16 games against San Francisco away from The Farm.
AGAINST THE WEST COAST CONFERENCE
Stanford owns a 186-80 all-time record against current members of the West Coast Conference. The only team the Cardinal has not played in the 10-team league is Pepperdine. The last WCC opponent Stanford faced was BYU. The Cardinal defeated the Cougars, 86-83, in the first round of the NIT at Maples Pavilion on March 14, 2018.
OKPALA'S IMPACT AS A SOPHOMORE
Sophomore KZ Okpala is averaging a team-best 16.8 ppg in 32.4 mpg through 10 games this season. He averaged 9.0 ppg in 28.1 mpg in his first 10 games last season. The forward, who had a career-best 29 points in the season opener against Seattle, is seventh in the Pac-12 in scoring.
RYAN AMONG PAC-12'S BEST THREE-POINT THREATS
Freshman Cormac Ryan leads the Pac-12, averaging 2.3 three-point field goals per game. He scored a team-best 12 points, all in the second half and all on three-pointers, against Florida. The freshman has recorded at least four three-point field goals in a game in four of nine contests (5 vs. Seattle, 4 vs. North Carolina, 4 vs. Florida, 4 vs. Eastern Washington). He has multiple three-point field goals in five games overall and is shooting 33.9 percent from three-point range (21-of-62) overall. Ryan is second on the team in scoring, averaging 11.0 ppg.
DAVIS CONTRIBUTING ON BOTH ENDS
Sophomore Daejon Davis, who broke Brevin Knight's school freshman assist record with 160 last season, has started 42 of 43 career games. He is averaging 17.3 points, 5.3 assists, 4.7 rebounds in his last three games, despite being limited with an illness last time out against San Jose State. The point guard is averaging 10.5 ppg, with 16 steals in 10 games. His 1.6 steals per game average is sixth in the Pac-12. The sophomore has posted at least four points, four rebounds, four assists and four steals in two games this season against UNC Wilmington and Middle Tennessee. He has posted at least four points, four rebounds and four assists in four contests. Davis matched his career-high rebound total with 10 boards vs. Middle Tennessee.
WILLS ONE OF NATION'S YOUNGEST PLAYERS
With a birthdate of October 13, 2000, Bryce Wills is the youngest player in the Pac-12 and one of the youngest in Division I. With most of the Division I schools reporting, Wills is the seventh-youngest player in the nation. He has started five games, with a career-best 10 points against Portland State.
WHITE DIALED IN FROM LONG RANGE
Sophomore Isaac White, who led Stanford with 38 three-pointers last season, is one of the Pac-12's top three-point threats again. The guard is shooting 50 percent from three-point range (8-of-16) this season. He was 5-of-5 from beyond the arc at No. 2 Kansas. White has seen 51 minutes of action in the last three games, after totaling 23 over the first seven contests.
DA SILVA FINDS TOUCH FROM DOWNTOWN
Sophomore Oscar da Silva has connected on nine of his last 16 three-point attempts, dating back to late in the first half against Eastern Washington two games ago. He opened the season 3-of-30 on three-point attempts. The sophomore finished with a career-high six three-pointers vs. San Jose State.
DA SILVA'S SECOND-HALF PRODUCTION
Oscar da Silva has scored 64 of his 95 points on the season in the second half. Over the last eight games, 60 of his 85 points have come after halftime. In the win over Eastern Washington, da Silva recorded 13 of his 16 points in the second half.
JOSH JAMS
Of senior Josh Sharma's 28 field goals on the season, 15 have been dunks. He has eight dunks in the last five games. The center also has a presence on the defensive end, ranking 10th in the Pac-12 with 10 blocks.
SHEFFIELD BACK
Redshirt junior Marcus Sheffield returned to the lineup this season, after missing the entire 2017-18 season. He injured his leg in practice a couple days before the regular-season opener last year. Sheffield, who poured in a career-best 35 points against Arizona State on Dec. 30, 2016, averaged 6.7 ppg during his true sophomore campaign in 2016-17. He is averaging 5.6 ppg in 16.3 mpg off the bench in the first 10 games of 2018-19.
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